Human or Civil Rights: Relevant & Contemporary - Essay Sample

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Human or Civil Rights

Human or civil rights are relevant to the modern-day, they are applicable in most aspects of human engagements and have become a pressing issue in our society due to their associated implications. A living human being is entitled to human rights, while civil rights apply to members who are legally registered and belong to a given state (World Health Organization 2019). Therefore, human or civil rights are considered contemporary issues. Even though both human and civil rights serve to protect human beings, human rights entitle one to the freedom of expression, being protected from torture, and the rights to life, education, and to free trial. Regarding the United States, civil rights serve to protect a person from discrimination, against self-incrimination and gives them the right to free speech, equal protection, and due process (Zick 2017).

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Civil rights are not universal in all states, and each country reserves the right to agree with its citizens through the state constitution to achieve a unique set of civil rights (Bloom 2019). It is common that states legally deprive her citizens of their civil rights at a higher frequency than she would deprive them of their human rights. Additionally, it is common that the state legally violates human rights on both the local and national level. These violations on human rights are, however, defended from occurring at the international level by international organizations.

While international organizations may step in to protect the state violation of its human rights, these organizations may not intervene when the state legally deprives its citizens of their civil rights. Death and collateral damage caused by such instances as combat and warfare, respectively, are a few examples of how human and civil rights violations occur both local, national, and on an international level. Massacres and genocides usually targeted towards the elimination of specific ethnic, religious, or racial groups are examples of the violations of the right to life, which is a fundamental human right. After violent occurrences in our society like raids, terrorist attacks, and deployment of military soldiers to control disputes, are associated with hostages, rape cases, and other war crimes.

Among the most affected in society are women and girls. Sexual assaults and human trafficking are inevitable during different forms of conflict and may force women into slavery or prostitution. Sexual violence against women in leadership is used as a way of inducing fear and intimidation by their male or female opponents. It is common for political leaders to imprison their opponents and never bring such subjects to trial. In addition to these violations, torture could be added to the equation to lower such people's dignity or force information out of them. Either way, these violets their human and civil rights as human beings.

Regarding Kirk (2018), South Africa had legalized segregation on a racial basis restricting people from the freedom of movement as different races occupied and were expected to stay in different locations. People from different races would not be in legal marriages or any sexual relationships; hence one race was considered less human than the other.

Breakdown of infrastructure and government facilities following armed conflict has a consequential effect on such facilities as health and education that affect human and civil rights. Infrastructures are the pillars in any state. The collapse of such support as economic would have more negative effects than a prolonged drought due to pollution, increased poverty and food scarcity leading to malnutrition, limited access to shelter as a basic need, and people's health deteriorate. With failed governmental institutions comes increased cases of corruption, mostly political executions, the number of people tortured in such states increases and political assassinations are rampant (Shipman and Turner et al. 2018).

With the presence of international humanitarian law, there is hope for the preservation of humanity even at such times characterized by conflicts among races, ethnic groups, and states. The approach towards common understanding is usually dialogue to enhance peace and eliminate violence in our society (McCoubrey 2019). For the offensive acts against human rights, international courts serve as the custodian helping to minimize the number of victims associated with mass execution and torture, among other crimes. This enables peacekeeping agencies to address better conflict resolution, having separated the need for human rights protection from conflict resolution.

References

Bloom, J. M. (2019). Class, race, and the civil rights movement. Indiana University Press.

Kirk, J. F. (2018). Making a voice: African resistance to segregation in South Africa. Routledge.

McCoubrey, H. (2019). International humanitarian law: modern developments in the limitation of warfare. Routledge.

Shipman, A., Edmunds, J., & Turner, B. (2018). The New Power Elite: Inequality, Politics and Greed. Anthem Press.

World Health Organization. (2019). Civil society organizations to promote human rights in mental health and related areas: WHO QualityRights guidance module. World Health Organization.

Zick, T. (2017). Restroom Use, Civil Rights, and Free Speech Opportunism. Ohio St. LJ, 78, 963.